Pool of London

Basil Dearden(1950)

Review

Our Score

by Adrian Turner

The thriller elements may be routine, but the mixed-race romance in this Ealing Studios production broke new ground for British cinema. Set in London's Docklands when there were ships and warehouses rather than wine bars and rooftop jacuzzis, it's a smuggling yarn involving a black stevedore, his white girlfriend and plenty of double-crosses before the cops close in. Director Basil Dearden, who had just finished the classic The Blue Lamp, makes the most of an eclectic cast that includes New York-born actor Bonar Colleano and young Bermudan Earl Cameron, who appeared in later films about racial issues such as Simba, Sapphire and Flame in the Streets.

Summary

A sailor learns his involvement in smuggling has made him the chief suspect in a murder case, and reluctantly goes on the run. Ealing thriller, starring Bonar Colleano, Susan Shaw, Renee Asherson and James Robertson Justice.